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AG 4.0.1 conference adds youth element

Grey County economic development Philly Markowitz with the county's Agri-Foods Asset Map that will be launched at the AG 4.0.1 digital agriculture conference at Meaford Hall on Friday, Nov. 24. (Rob Gowan The Sun Times)

A conference touting the future of agriculture is putting a call out to the farmers of tomorrow.

Grey County is presenting its AG 4.0.1 Digital Agriculture Conference on Friday at Meaford Hall, fallowing up on last year's AG 4.0 conference that focused on technology in agriculture.

Touted as “The Next Big Thing,” this year's conference has an added focus on youth, with free tickets offered to those between the ages of 12 and 18, and a special session geared towards the young participants.

“We recognize that there is incredible innovation happening in agriculture and there are a lot of kids that are going to go away and learn about that, but they are going to want to come back,” said Philly Markowitz, Grey County's economic development officer. “We want them to know that the county supports this kind of innovation and we want them to get excited and come back and implement those ideas here.”

Markowitz said it is important to involve youth in a conference like the one they are holding.

“As technology accelerates the people who are most flexible in their ability to adapt are young people,” said Markowitz. “We also recognize that rural Ontario and Grey County is aging and there are a lot of farms that don't have succession plans in place.

“If we can help draw connections between the farms and farmers who are aging out and the young people who are here want to return here, then it is going to be better for everyone.”

The 21st Century Local Food Network youth session is being facilitated by Bernie Blakeney of the Launch Pad Youth Activity and Technology Centre in Hanover.

Blakeney has created a simulation of a greenhouse growing environment along the lines of technology being used in Holland and southwestern Ontario with sensors, robotics and other controls.

“He is creating something that students or anyone can access from their phones and play with as if they are running a full system,” said Markowitz. “We are really excited about it and we are encouraging teenagers to bring their phones to school.”

This year's conference includes a streamlined program so people don't have to make as many choices around concurrent sessions.

In this year's conference there is a strong focus on geographic information system and agricultural mapping. Farming by the Numbers Part 1 includes the launch of Grey's new Agri-Foods Asset Map, a tool to link the county's various agricultural assets, including producers to producers and producers to customers.

The I Robot? session includes a look at farm labour trends, cutting edge technology and making the switch to robotics and other technological solutions.

The event also includes an introduction to Bluewater Angels, a program that drives innovation and entrepreneurship by providing funding support for start-up businesses.

Farming by the Numbers Part 2 features a trio of speakers from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs providing an introduction to the AgriMaps Portal and other new agricultural data tools.

Big Data, Small Farm – Data Driven Agriculture addresses commodity challenges through the use of data, while in the Success Stories session, producers tell how they have adopted new technologies and how they have paid off.

The Technology and Sustainability session talks about using data and technology to protect the environment and increase efficiencies.

“We have panels that address the kinds of questions ask when they look to adopt a technology, questions they are asking about where the future of farming is heading, questions about the success and return on investment of making technological changes,” said Markowitz. “Kind of the two main themes are what can data do for us and what does change really look like at the farm and on the farm.”

There will also be exhibits on hand from the Brookfield Institute, OMAFRA, Grey County planning, and a display of the Agri-Foods Asset Map.

“All will give attendees an opportunity to interact, ask questions and give feedback,” said Markowitz.

Tickets for the conference are available at www.grey.ca. Regular admission is $85, while youth age 12-15 are invited to attend the conference along with an attending adult, and those 16-18 can attend on their own. Markowitz asks that everyone registers online, including youth, so they have numbers for the lunch that will be provided. The conference runs 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.